Whereas Vi was out there to play at Evo 2025, the preventing sport group nonetheless has some hesitation about embracing Riot’s upcoming fighter, 2XKO. Nevertheless, Esports Insider discovered some solutions at Evo 2025 whereas playtesting the demo.
Introduced in 2021, 2XKO (previously Challenge L) has been slowly revealing gameplay and content material over the previous few years, but it surely hasn’t been sufficient to provide the FGC confidence. One of many largest complaints has been the small roster of fighters, however this may occasionally change quickly.
I had the pleasure of enjoying 2XKO for the second time at Evo 2025, together with testing out the brand new fighter Vi. Like previously, 2XKO felt visually stimulating, with daring and enjoyable animations, and had wonderful tag-team methods (though it’s been ‘toned down’ because the final time I performed to be extra newbie pleasant).
A member of the Recreation Evaluation and Reside Steadiness crew (and lively FGC member), Josh ‘NerdJosh’ Jodoian, sat down and performed just a few rounds with me. Throughout this time, I couldn’t assist however ask concerning the small roster.
In response to NerdJosh, 2XKO began off as a small challenge at Riot. For that cause, the roster was fairly small firstly (again when it was Challenge L). Nevertheless, the crew began to comprehend that it was rising into one thing loads greater. That’s after they began discussing the addition of extra legends.
However why is it nonetheless fairly small after so a few years?
“We’ve got a top quality bar,” NerdJosh mentioned. “There’s a number of characters which might be shut however they’re not presentable but.”
So there you have got it — extra legends are coming. NerdJosh confirmed that they’re at the moment engaged on new legends, however he couldn’t give any particulars. The legends and the discharge dates are nonetheless unknown.
The 2XKO Balancing Act
I then requested NerdJosh how a legend is picked. League of Legends has a large roster to select from, but it surely takes a fairly large dialogue amongst higher-ups on the subject of which legend is added.
It doubtless takes a number of strategising as a consequence of 2XKO being 2v2. Because of this they’ve to verify the legend’s instruments work alongside anyone they’re paired up with. All the legends should additionally really feel very completely different from each other, which means various assaults and playstyles.
Over time, the 2XKO crew has additionally been balancing current legends (like Darius, who was getting ‘a number of flack’ for being very sturdy and easy to study) and determining the right way to make the sport extra approachable for much less aggressive gamers. A method was to simplify chain dashing and permit for fuse and auto combos collectively.
“We wished folks to get again into the match sooner whereas nonetheless expressing themselves,” NerdJosh informed Esports Insider.
2XKO nonetheless has no set launch date, however hopefully extra legends might be introduced this 12 months.
